![]() What if instead we are doing our teenagers a disservice by writing off as “normal” what are in reality the symptoms of chronic and severe sleep deprivation? It’s a radical thought, but what if the behavior we casually dismiss as “ teenage angst” - the moodiness, the constant battles, the sleeping all day, the reckless, impulsive and careless behavior - is not in fact a normal part of being a teen? Or at least, not to the degree we assume it is. It’s important to talk to teens about getting enough sleep. Physical and behavioral health issues from lack of sleep can have real effects. Sleep deprivation is not a normal part of growing up. In fact, since many mental health disorders first show up in the teen years, doctors worry that sleep deprivation may bring those conditions on or make them worse. These symptoms make it harder to sleep and it becomes a bad cycle. One study found that teens who don’t sleep enough feel anxious, stressed and depressed. That can work for a little while but is not a long-term solution. Some kids try to make up by sleeping a lot on the weekends. It also results in teens acting impulsively or recklessly. Not getting sleep can cause traffic accidents and accidental injuries. It also has an impact on their ability to control their emotions and get along with adults. That haze can have negative effects on the way they think, react and learn. Not getting sleep puts teens in a kind of haze. But studies show that close to 70% of teens don’t get that. Teens need nine hours of sleep a night for their developing brains. The physical, mental and behavioral problems that happen when a teen goes without sleep are huge. But actually, there’s a good chance all of these symptoms could be caused by the chronic lack of sleep most teens experience. ![]() It’s easy to assume that your teen’s moodiness, recklessness and sleeping all day on the weekends are just annoying teen behavior.
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